This information has appeared yesterday in SMI. Nine Duma deputies, including his colleagues Alena Arshinova and Franz Klinzevich, have signed a latter to the Ministry of Justice, calling on them to investigate the "Peace and Harmony Fund" (established as "The International Association of Peace Funds", the Chairman of which is Anatoly Karpov.)

The parliamentarians have established that a partner of the non-commercial fund is the the company «Japan Tobacco Inc.» This is the third biggest tobacco product producer in the world, whose cigarette brands include "Peter I". The MPs have been stirred up by an amendment proposed by Karpov to an anti-tobacco law, in which he has sought to remove the penalties for illegal trade in cigarettes.

The chessplayer's proposal roused the suspicions of his parliamentary colleagues. UR deputy Alena Arshinova suggested that Karpov had received financial support from abroad, which he used to take part in the political life of the country. Questions about the ethics of such actions, if proved, have been addressed to the Ministry of Justice.

Karpov is a DUma Deputy for the United Russia party. In 2010 the chessplayer was involved in a conflict with the Russian authorities, who refused to support his candidacy for the post of FIDE President. In recent years, he has several times expressed solidarity with the 13th worled chess champion Garry Kasparov, especially when the latter was arrested.